Sediment removal apparatus



Nov- 24. 1953 H. w. HAPMAN SEDIMENT REMOVAL APPARATUS Original Filed Oct. 12, 1944 I I Ihmentor 1 19 W W"? (it ornegs tank, a guide plate I I2 has its upper edge welded as at II3 to the under side of the tubular conveyor conduit section 9'! so as to depend therefrom, with the lower end provided with a guide strip M4 for being received in the cutaway portion of the conveyor flights IIO so as to engage the endless conveyor chain I09 and thereby hold the flights in position during their travel along the trough 90 formed by the inclined sloping bottom walls 93.

The guide strip II2 is provided with an angular portion H5 which is inclined upwardly and is welded to the bottom portion of the inclined conveyor tube section 98, and said inclined portion is provided with a flanged lower edge surface He continuous with the flanged portion H4 so as to guide the conveyor flights H during their travel along the inclined trough 06 formed by the inclined sloping bottom walls of the coolant tank. The upper end II'I of the inclined portion of the guide strip H is welded to the supporting plate I02, as well as being welded to the upper projecting end portion of the inclined section 93 of the conveyor tube conduit.

A collection chamber H8 is mounted between the side walls SI of the coolant tank 90 to extend beneath the discharge portion I03 of the inclined trough 96, and said receptacle has its side walls inclined to permit the same to be positioned well within or between the side walls 9| of the coolant tank and conform to the sloping trough 96 of the converging inclined bottom walls of said tank. It will thus be seen that the coolant tank 90 may be placed under the discharge of the machine tool so as to collect the cooling liquid therefrom so that the same will be received in said tank and the heavier foreign particles therein will settle to the trough 94 and be carried or moved to the endless conveyor flights IIII.

In the operation of the invention, the motor I05 is energized, rotating the shaft I01 and sprocket I08 and causing the sprocket chain or conveyor chain I00 to traverse the conduit 50. The upper or return course of the chain I03 passes downward through the pipe portions 98, 91 and 90 and through the aperture I00 and along the bottom portion or trough 34. As the flights H0 pass along the trough 94 they pick up the sediment which has settled downward in the tank 90 from the contaminated liquid which has been pumped into the tank 00. The flights IIO on the conveyor chain I09 then pass upward along the inclined trough 96 and emerge at the flared mouth portion I03, causing the sludge to be dumped into any suitable receptacle such as the collection chamber H8. The flights IIO on the conveyor chain I09 thus relieved of their loads of sediment, pass around the sprocket I08 and re-enter the flared entrance IOI of the return conduit pipe 98, repeating the cycle.

While the flight conveyor I09 is traversing the trough-like lower portion 94 of the tank 90, the flights IIO are held down by the guide strip M l on the lower edge of the guide plate H2, and continue to be held down by the inclined guide strip IIG which is continuous with the guide portion H4, as stated above. In this manner, the conveyor flights I I0 are also held down while they traverse the upwardly inclined trough 05 leading to the flared discharge end I03 of the conduit system.

The flight conveyor chain I09 is composed of a series of chain links I31 having one end formed with a bar portion I38 and. the opposite end provided with a hooked portion I39 for receiving the bar portion I38 (Figures 3 and 4) so that the space between the chain links I37 will provide a sprocket tooth receiving opening of a slightly larger size than the teeth on the sprocket wheel I08. Alternate chain links IS'I are provided with laterally extending arm portions It?! (Figures 3 and 4) which arm portions may be formed integral with the chain links or may be attached thereto in any suitable manner. Secured to the laterally extending arm or wing portions I40 of the chain links I31 is the previously-mentioned series of conveyor flights H0. Each conveyor flight H0 is formed of a pair of pressed metal stampings I02 which are adapted to be secured together and to the laterally extending wing portions I 40 by rivets I43 or the like passed through suitable openings I40 in the laterally extending wing portions I40 which are aligned with openings I45 in the pressed metal stampings I422. The peripheral edge of each stamping I02 is flanged as at I40 to provide a space therebetween for receiving the previouslymentioned natural or synthetic rubber insert IIi which is adapted to withstand considerable wear during the handling of abrasive material or particles deposited in the cooling liquid. Each of the conveyor flights IE0 is cut away as at 248 to form a recess or passageway for permitting the travel of said flights over the sprocket wheel I08 during their passage thereabout.

What I claim is:

i. A sediment removal apparatus comprising a horizontally-elongated tank having side and end walls and converging sloping bottom walls connected thereto and forming an elongated substantially horizontal trough at the junction of said bottom walls, a conveyor conduit structure disposed in said tank in an approximately vertiplane passing through and including the longitudinal axis of said trough, said conduit structure including a return pipe spaced above said trough and a connecting pipe extending from said turn pipe to said trough, an endless flight conveyor trained through said conduit structure extending upwardly out of said tank, said conveyor having a substantially horizontal lower course passing through and along said trough, a conveyor driving wheel mounted above said tank and drivingly engaging said conveyor, and a motor drivingly connected to said driving wheel, said conduit structure including an elongated. substantially horizontal guide member disposed above said trough in spaced parallel relationship therewith and guidingly engaging the upper side of said lower course of said flight conveyor.

2. A sediment removal apparatus comprising a horizontally-elongated tank having side and end walls and converging sloping bottom walls connected thereto and forming an elongated substantially horizontal trough at the junction of said bottom walls, said converging bottom walls having portions thereof inclined upwardly forming an upwardly-inclined extension of said elongated horizontal trough, a conveyor conduit structure disposed in said tank in an approximately vertical plane passing through and including the longitudinal axis of said trough, said conduit structure including a return pipe spaced above said trough and a connecting pipe extending from said return pipe to said trough, an endless flight conveyor trained through said conduit structure and extending upwardly out of said tank, said conveyor having a partly horizontal and partly inclined lower course passing 6 through and. along said horizontal trough and References Cited in the file of this patent said inclined trough extension, a conveyordriv- UNITED STATES PATENTS mg wheel mounted above sa1d tank and dr1v1ngly engaging said conveyor, and a motor drivingly Number Name Date connected to said driving wheel, said conduit 5 602,515 Mcclatchey et 1898 structure including an elongated partly hori- 2,432,756 Hapma'n Dec-16, 1947 zontal and partly inclined guide member dis- 2,559,614 Hapman July 1951 posed above said trough and trough extension F I N PATE T respectively in spaced parallel relationship Number Country Date therewith and guidingly engaging the upper side 1 of said lower course of said flight conveyor. 3431025 Germany Oct. 27, 1921 H ENE Y W. HAPMAN. 531,865 Germany Aug. 19, 1931 

